Unfinished Business

by Roxanne Hensley

  She never gave George enough credit. He did everything imaginable to take care of her and Adrian, even to his detriment. He was always more of the nurturer out of the two of them, and nothing was more important to him than his family. He never brought his stress home, even when he would juggle two or three jobs at a time. He carried the load of everything like a pack mule when Margaret had a hard time functioning, let alone working, after Adrian was born. He was the epitome of a gentleman, and she missed him every day. Three years hadn’t made it any easier to be alone.

  Adrian was so angry at Margaret when George died, blaming her for hiding how sick her father was. But in Margaret’s defense, she didn’t know either. He hid the severity of his condition well until it was too late, brushing her off and insisting he was fine. Things happened so quickly that it left her shell-shocked. But maybe Adrian was right. How could Margaret not have known? She’d replayed their last week together over in her mind until the memories wore out, not able to pinpoint what led to her husband’s departure. But how could she have predicted his heart giving out? Perhaps he’d given all he could and there was nothing left to make his ticker tick. It was one of God’s many mysteries.

  She and Adrian hadn’t spoken since the funeral. Both of them were already angry at God for taking away the most important man in their lives, and then Margaret had gone and made things worse by sharing her true thoughts about Brad. In hindsight, even after not speaking to Adrian for over three years, Margaret stood by what she’d said. Although she could have chosen her words more carefully and perhaps even addressed her concern at a different time and place. But she was right about Brad. God rest his soul.

  What words would she use to tell her daughter her husband didn’t survive their accident?

  “Any change?” Laura interrupted Margaret’s thoughts as she entered the room.

  Margaret shook her head. “Not yet.”

  Laura took a seat in the corner and they listened to the noise from the monitors and machines. They’d grown comfortable together in silence over the last couple of days, waiting patiently for signs of life from Adrian. Margaret was so thankful Laura reached out and told her what happened. She and Laura had a semi-regular cadence of keeping in touch over the last three years. She’d call Margaret and fill her in on details of Adrian’s life—her and Brad’s fertility issues, her promotions at work, and all the mundane stuff in between. She even told Margaret about Adrian trying out bangs in a new haircut, quickly realizing it wasn’t a good look for her. She’d laughed as Laura told her all the creative ways Adrian wore hats to cover it up until her hair grew out.

  When Laura called a few days earlier, Margaret had assumed it was their normal cadence until she heard a tearful, shaky explanation of what happened. Margaret didn’t hesitate to fly out on the next flight to Austin, immediately regretting not reaching out to Adrian over the last three years. Would she ever have the chance to talk to her daughter again?

  “What time is your flight back?” Laura asked.

  “At five-thirty.” Margaret looked at the clock. She needed to head toward the airport to ensure she didn’t miss the flight. But Adrian still wasn’t awake. She couldn’t leave yet. She needed to see her daughter wake up and know for certain she would be okay. She couldn’t leave her tied to the spaghetti mess of cords and machines with a clear conscience.

  “You know you can’t miss this appointment again.”

  “I know.” Margaret gripped Adrian’s hand a little tighter.

  “She’s receiving excellent care here. You have to take care of you too.”

  Margaret nodded. “You’re right.” She reluctantly released her daughter’s hand. Blood rushed to her head when she stood, and the room came back into focus through the momentary void. “This is just like her. So stubborn.” She laughed nervously.

  “I promise I’ll let her know you were here when she wakes up. She’s going to wake up.” Laura placed a hand on Margaret’s shoulder.

  As if on cue, something stirred in the corner of her eye. Margaret saw life wiggle back into Adrian’s motionless body. Her daughter groaned. She was awake. Alive. She felt pain, and it was wonderful.

  “She’s awake!” Margaret cried out to the hospital staff. “Come quick! She’s awake!”

  5

  “Ma?”

  “Yes, I’m here.” Margaret squeezed Adrian’s hand, which lay limp, lacking the strength to squeeze back.

  “But…what happened?”

  “From what we gathered, you slammed into a semitruck. Doctors said your pelvis cracked, and they had to remove your spleen. You also cracked three ribs on your right side. It’s amazing that you're still alive.” Margaret’s eyes looked glassy as she brushed hair back from Adrian’s forehead.

  No wonder she felt so much pain.

  As Margaret spoke, Adrian’s eyes came into focus. Something was off. She resisted the urge to pinch Margaret, finding it hard to believe she was real. Her mother had lost a significant amount of weight. She now had a salt and pepper pixie cut instead of long locks twisted up in a bun. More wrinkles carved into the smoothness of her now pallid complexion. The changes seemed more drastic than three years of aging should. Your mother needs your help. The child’s words echoed in her mind.

  “Why’d you come?”

  “Really, Adrian? You almost died. Shouldn’t that be enough of a reason for us to end our…disagreement?”

  Adrian studied her mother more closely. Bags hung heavy under her eyes, like she’d been in a bar fight. Given the circumstances, she probably hadn’t been sleeping, but what was going on beneath the surface? She clearly wasn’t well. Had she come to apologize on Adrian’s death bed? Was it too late to go back to sleep?

  “Adrian?”

  “You don’t look well.”

  “Look who’s talking.” Margaret coughed. It took her a minute to find her breath.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She waved a hand. “Enough about me. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but—”

  “Brad didn’t make it, did he?”

  She shook her head, affirming what Adrian already knew. Margaret apologized as tears leaked down the sides of Adrian’s face. Margaret placed a wrinkled hand on top of Adrian’s to provide some comfort, and they sat in silence for a few moments.

  “Knock, knock.” A tall, slender man in green scrubs peered into the room. “Mrs. Foley, glad to see you’re awake.” He approached her bedside, gray hair poking out from his scrub cap. “I’m Dr. Barnes.” He gently touched her hand, his skin soft and nails perfectly manicured. “You survived quite an accident, my dear.” He had a slight Canadian accent.

  “Yeah, my mom just told me what happened.”

  He nodded, his deep blue eyes full of kindness. “Do you want the good news or bad news first?”

  “Tell me somethin’ good,” she said, wincing from pain as she tried to sit up.

  “Easy there.” He laid her back. “So, the good news is your pelvis suffered only a hairline fracture, which will cut your recovery time to about six to eight weeks. You should be able to walk out of here in about a week, though. With some help, of course.”

  “A week?”

  “Yeah, that’s the bad news.” He grimaced. “You had a lot of internal bleeding from the accident, and I had to perform an open splenectomy, so I’m going to need to keep an eye on you for another week.”

  Adrian paused. “Will I be okay without a spleen?”

  “Oh, yeah, you’ll be fine. But your immune system could be compromised, so you will be more prone to infection moving forward.”

  “And how long until I can go back to work?” The launch. The merger. Adrian’s pulse raced.

  “I’m going to need you to take it easy for at least four weeks. Preferably six.”

  “How easy?”

  “Have you heard of Netflix?” He smiled.

  She giggled. “Don’t make me laugh.” Her face contorted into something between a smile and a wince as pain radia
ted through her body.

  “Sorry.” Definitely Canadian. “Do you have any other questions for me right now, my dear?” Adrian shook her head. “Okay, I’ll come by tomorrow to check on your progress. Hang in there, kiddo.” He put her chart back on the door and left.

  She took a moment to process everything Dr. Barnes had said, a sinking feeling washing over her. She knew how critical a time it was for the company, and not being a part of it, even for reasons like barely surviving a life-threatening accident, would be severely frowned upon.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” Laura approached her bedside. “How are you?”

  “Spectacular.” A smile tugged at her lips.

  “Glad to see your sarcasm is intact.”

  “That’s about all that is right now, apparently.”

  “First step on the road to recovery.” She smiled, touching Adrian’s arm. Despite the circumstances, Laura looked absolutely beautiful and put together, her dark curly hair without any frizz.

  “I’ll leave you be,” Margaret said, touching Adrian’s hand once more before struggling to stand. Laura helped her find her balance. “There’s a flight back in a couple of hours, and I need to be on it.”

  Adrian felt a jolt radiate through her body at Margaret’s touch, seeing a vision of her mother dying. Alone. The flash only lasted a moment. What was that?

  “You’re leaving?” Adrian knew much more needed to be said, but the words refused to flow.

  “Yeah, I have some commitments back in Florida I need to attend to, and you’re in good hands here, so...”

  In Adrian’s condition, she had no choice but to let her mother go. She didn’t have the strength to make her stay.

  “I’ll call you when I get home,” Adrian said. Margaret nodded, leaning over to kiss her daughter’s forehead with dry lips. When she got to the doorway, Margaret turned back and forced a smile that did nothing to mask the pain in her eyes. Then she left.

  “I’m surprised she came.” Adrian had known she’d see her mother again at some point, but the reunion was the farthest thing from her imagination. And now that it had happened, an empty feeling sank in as she realized how much she’d missed having her mother around. Or at the very least, the idea of her. Maybe the second chance was not only for her but also for her mother. Adrian had changed a lot in the last few years. Maybe Margaret had too.

  “You’re her daughter. Despite the past, nothing changes that.”

  “She couldn’t wait to leave, though.”

  “She came. Doesn’t that count for something?” Laura was right. Margaret was never good with apologies, so maybe being there was her olive branch.

  “Did she look well to you?” Adrian asked.

  “She has COPD.”

  “COPD?”

  “Basically, her lungs are inflamed, making it difficult for her to breathe. All those years of smoking have taken their toll on her.” Laura gave her a sideways glance, knowing Adrian was a closet smoker. She only smoked when stressed. Or nervous. Or happy. So, it really didn’t count.

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “We had some time to catch up while you were sleeping.” Laura tucked a strand of hair behind Adrian’s ear.

  Somehow, Adrian didn’t feel like she was getting the whole story, but maybe the pain meds were making her paranoid.

  “Don’t worry too much. She has a really good doctor back home.” Laura placed a hand on Adrian’s forearm.

  “I hope you’re right.” Concern spread across Adrian’s face as guilt settled in for neglecting her mother. She debated telling Laura about her experience on the other side but decided to wait.

  “Well, you’re in no condition to do anything about it right now, so just get some rest, and take care of you. Can I bring you anything? Ice chips or something?”

  Adrian nodded. “Ice chips.”

  “You got it.” Laura squeezed her arm. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  “Me too.”

  Laura’s face turned serious. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, okay?”

  “I promise.” She knew in her bones, the ones still intact anyway, that it was true.

  Being able to leave the hospital felt liberating. Adrian had been granted parole, and she was ready to experience freedom from the cell she’d been locked up in for over a week. Although she’d be leaving jail and heading home to be imprisoned by memories of what was and thoughts of what could have been. That, and the doctor told her she’d be on a heavy physical therapy regimen for several weeks and should add plenty of shows to her Netflix queue.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come stay with us for a while?” Laura asked.

  “No, I’ll be fine. Besides, you have a baby to take care of, and I don’t want to burden you.”

  “You’re never a burden, and you know it.”

  They drove away from the hospital in silence. Adrian suspected Laura was waiting for her to change her mind, but she wouldn’t. She needed to get used to being alone. Laura pulled into the parking lot of a big box store to pick up Adrian’s meds while she waited in the car.

  “Hey, will you get me a cane too?” Adrian held out her credit card. Laura nodded but refused to take the card, sticking out her tongue as she shut the door.

  Adrian tugged at her seatbelt, realizing it was the main reason she was still alive. Without it, her fate could have been similar to Brad’s. She knew the road to recovery would be steep, and she’d have trouble getting around for a while, but she could do it. Laura said she’d help as much as she could, but Adrian didn’t expect her to drop everything at a moment’s notice.

  She rolled her window down, feeling the abnormally warm October breeze tickle her skin. Sitting for any length of time wasn’t the most comfortable, and she closed her eyes, ignoring the pain screaming out to be medicated.

  The popping of the trunk startled her, and she looked in the rear-view mirror. She assumed Laura was hidden behind the towering bags of groceries she carefully slid into the trunk, balancing a cane on top of it all. Adrian smiled, wondering how she’d ever gotten so lucky to have such a great friend.

  Laura quickly navigated the back roads to avoid traffic. “Almost there.” She turned into the neighborhood, and Adrian could smell her neighbor’s freshly cut grass as he mowed meticulous lines in his yard. She recognized the rows of houses with their brick and stone facades, and familiarity set in. Everything about it looked exactly as she remembered, and she exhaled.

  “Home sweet home.” Laura pulled into the driveway. Adrian looked at her limestone two-story house and her heart sank. The windows peered right through her, sending a shiver down her spine. She knew it was her home, but it looked so cold and foreign to her.

  Laura walked around to help her out, and she considered changing her mind about staying with Laura instead. Could she really face the big house alone?

  “You okay?”

  Adrian nodded, words escaping her. She handed her keys to Laura, who jiggled the lock to open the door. Adrian crossed the threshold, pictures of her and Brad greeting her from a nearby wall. She felt nauseous.

  “Whew, let’s turn on some AC,” Laura said as a wave of stuffy, stale air hit them. She adjusted the thermostat and helped Adrian get settled on the plush sofa in her living room. Laura went to grab the groceries, leaving Adrian alone in the cavernous space. Vaulted ceilings in the living room now seemed like a bad decision. She felt so small in the enormity of the house.

  “Where do you want me to set you up?” Laura set the bags of groceries down on the kitchen island.

  All four of the bedrooms were on the second floor, and Adrian considered the stairs for a moment. She remembered when she and Brad first looked at the house. Laura had sold it to them, and Adrian initially thought it was too big. Brad assured her it had plenty of room to grow into as they started their family, and they’d quickly agreed which room would be the nursery. She wasn’t prepared to go upstairs, and the thought of climbing into bed with sheets that still smelled lik
e him made her stomach turn.

  “Adrian?”

  “I think I’ll stay down here.” Adrian turned away from the ghosts haunting the second floor, feeling relieved to have a sleeper sofa as Laura pulled out the couch. Laura created a nest, loaded with cozy blankets and lots of pillows she’d retrieved from a linen closet upstairs. Adrian slowly crawled into her new bed, and Laura set her up with anything she could possibly need nearby, including snacks, the TV remote, and her cell phone.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  Adrian nodded. “I just need to rest.”

  “Okay. I’ll come by later to check on you.” She tucked Adrian into the blankets. “Love you.”

  “Love you more.” Adrian blew Laura a kiss, and she left. The door shut and the lock clicked home.

  Adrian looked over at her provisions, seeing a picture of her with Brad from their wedding day in a silver frame. They were both smiling, gazing longingly into each other’s eyes. She reached over to face it down and knocked it over instead, the glass shattering like her marriage.

  She was officially alone.

  She burst into tears, the finality of recent events sinking in. They’d never get to finish that conversation in the car, and she’d never get the answers to her barrage of questions. She’d never have closure. Never know why he’d betrayed her.

  It hurt to cry because her ribs were still healing, but she couldn’t stop. Once she opened the floodgates, so many emotions poured out. She still loved Brad and couldn’t believe he was gone. Where did she go wrong? Was she really that bad of a wife?

  It was her fault. She’d pushed him away in pursuit of her career. She should have spent more time with him. Should have been more supportive. Maybe if she’d been more vocal, more honest, things would have been better between them. Maybe if she had done that, he wouldn’t have cheated. Maybe he wouldn’t be dead.